Cookbook celebrates the flavors, growers of the SouthCoast

For Karen Covey, one of the pleasures of living in a coastal community like Mattapoisett is being able to take her dog on daily walks to a lighthouse.

Joanna McQuillan Weeks

For Karen Covey, one of the pleasures of living in a coastal community like Mattapoisett is being able to take her dog on daily walks to a lighthouse.

But Ned's Point Light isn't the only thing she loves about this region: It's also its beauty and the accessibility to great ingredients from farmers, dairies, fishermen, markets and vineyards.

As she asserts in the introduction to "The Coastal Table: Recipes Inspired by the Farmland and Seaside of Southern New England," "For someone who is passionate about food, there may not be a more exciting place to live than this stretch of the ... coast."

More than 120 recipes are between the covers of the book published by Union Park Press in Boston and beautifully illustrated with photos by Cassandra Birocco, the author, and others. Some will especially catch the eye of SouthCoast readers, such as a view of a fog-shrouded Ned's Point Light, skiffs awaiting yachtsmen at the Mattapoisett town wharf, and a tractor at rest above a slope of vines at Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery.

Recipes from chefs throughout the region are sprinkled through the book, including one for beach plum mojitos from Catherine Walthers of Martha's Vineyard.

The author also profiles food purveyors and producers such as Great Hill Blue Cheese, Sid Wainer and Son, Turk's Seafood, Travessia Urban Winery and Eva's Garden.

Covey has written for Edible South Shore, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and Local In Season, and created a blog, gourmetrecipesforone.com, as well as teaching cooking.

But you could say that all of her professional experiences — and even her childhood — have led up to the publication of "The Coastal Table."

Her parents, to whom the book is dedicated, ran a restaurant in Manchester, Vt., where, she says, "I started as soon as I could. My Dad always said I fell in love with cooking as soon as I walked into the kitchen." She worked in every phase of the operation, learning by observing. Even at 9, she was scooping ice cream.

After graduating from college, she worked in magazine publishing, in a design studio, as a freelance writer and as creative director of a food

magazine.

All that came in handy in writing "The Coastal Table," as well as designing the cover and content. The author broke down the recipes into less traditional chapters, including "brunch," "from the garden," "cocktail hour" and "picnic."

Some years back, Covey discovered the SouthCoast when searching for a summer house. "I have lived here for 10 years," she said. "It started as a vacation home."

There's a wealth of great recipes for entertaining in her cookbook, because, as Covey said, "I think the most fun part about cooking is tailoring a meal to your guests."

She continued, "The chourico in puff pastry is really a great recipe for entertaining." Other choices for gatherings of friends and family include the luxurious Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Lobster, Modern Clams Casino with Oregano Mojo, Baked Fish with Nasturtium Butter, and Grilled Leg of Lamb with Greens and Lemon Yogurt.

When the weather cools, as it inevitably must, Covey's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Cream, Classic Shrimp Bisque, and Portuguese Kale Soup will be waiting for you.

Some might cry foul at the inclusion of tomatoes in the latter, but as Covey comments, "It makes it heartier."

The book is being well-received by book buyers and sellers, Covey said as she embarks on an autumn of signings, demonstrations and tastings. The book has garnered enviable reviews, like this one from Amy Traverso, senior food and home editor of Yankee Magazine:

"New Englanders have long known that the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island is one of America's best hidden gems for food lovers. Now Karen Covey is sharing our secret with the rest of the world, bringing this bountiful community to light in the pages of her beautiful book. Her love for her adopted home is palpable and her recipes reflect the sensibility of the place: vibrant but unfussy, grounded in the land and its bounty, elegantly simple. I'll be cooking from this book through every season."

Covey will be at How on Earth in Mattapoisett Saturday, and has appearances scheduled into December that are posted on the cookbook's web site (thecoastaltable.com).

Here are a few recipes from the cookbook to sample.

"Clamming in New England is a summer ritual. It is a primal, rejuvenating experience that appeals to Yankee sensibilities from Maine to Connecticut. ... While most light-bodied beers complement this recipe well, Sam Adams Summer Ale is a good choice here, as it plays off the hints of lemon in the broth," Covey writes.

Check clams and make sure none are already open. If any are open, gently push shells together with your fingers to see if clams will close. If they don't, discard. Wash clams one at a time under running water, removing any sand with your fingers or a small brush, and set aside. In a large saucepan, add butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1-2 minutes (do not let it burn or turn brown), and season with salt and pepper. Add beer and lemon slices and bring to slow boil. Add clams. Increase heat to high, cover, and continue to cook until clams open, about 5-10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Divide clams equally among serving bowls. Strain clam broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Divide strained broth among serving bowls. Add a lemon wedge to each bowl and top with some parsley. Serve warm with bread.

"The minute corn hits the stand, I long to throw it on the grill ... I slather on this zesty, flavorful compound butter and top it off with some queso blanco, a farmer's cheese from Narragansett Creamery," Covey writes about this recipe.

Make the most of the waning corn season with this treatment.

Grilled Corn with Jalapeno-Lime Butter

Serves four. From "The Coastal Table."

Jalapeno-Lime Butter:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 small jalapeno pepper, cut in half, seeded, and finely diced

Zest from 1/2 lime

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 ears fresh corn

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Queso blanco, crumbled, for serving

Make jalapeņo-lime butter. In a medium bowl, combine softened butter with jalapeno and lime zest, season with salt and pepper, and mix until everything is combined. Transfer to a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. Pull husks back from corn, keeping them attached at base, and discard inner silk. Push husks back carefully around ears of corn and soak in cold water for at least 10 minutes. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove butter from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Fold a paper towel into quarters and coat one side with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place paper towel in a pair

of tongs and brush oiled side of towel onto grill grates to coat. Discard paper towel.

turning occasionally, until insides of corn are bright yellow and tender, about 10 minutes. To add additional flavor, peel back husks (leaving them attached at base) and grill corn (turning occasionally) until cobs are lightly charred on all sides, about 3-5 minutes.

To serve, carefully pull husks back from ears of corn (if they aren't already) and place corn on a serving platter. Season corn with salt and pepper and serve with jalapeno-lime butter, lime wedges, and queso blanco. Cook's note: If you want the butter to be a bit spicier, leave in some of the jalapeno seeds. If you can't find queso blanco, look for cotija or any other fresh farmer's cheese. Good quality feta will work here as well.

Crostini with Wilted Kale and Goat Cheese

Makes 12 crostini. From "The Coastal Table."

Baguette, cut into 12 1-inch thick slices

1/4 bunch curly kale, washed and dried

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

4 ounces goat cheese, softened

Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown on both sides, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside. Trim bottoms of kale leaves and discard. Remove and discard inner stems and roughly chop remaining kale into small pieces, about 2 inches in size. In a medium saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Add stock to pan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until kale is tender and wilted, about another 5 minutes. Spread a bit of goat cheese evenly over each slice of bread. Top with kale. Add a pinch of lemon zest on top of each, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Joanna McQuillan Weeks is food editor of The Standard-Times. Contact her at jweeks@s-t.com

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